Game appliance or puzzle.



No. 865,550. 7 PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907. T. M. WEBB & T. J. DAVIS. GAMEAPPLIANCE 0R PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUI TE 1311907.

m E W M e T .T'. JJjavd's WITNESSES Altameys UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

THOMAS M. WEBB AND THOMAS J. DAVIS, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA.

GAME APPLIANCE OR PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

Application filed June 13,1907. Serial No. 378,845.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS M. WEBB and THOMAS J. DAVIS, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg andState of North Carolina, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Game Appliances or Puzzles; and they do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to new and useful improve ments in game appliancesor puzzles, and our object is to provide a device of this class wherebyamusement is provided and skill required to place a bead or other objectin a cavity in the center of the appliance.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter referred to and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part 01 this application,Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved game appliance, and, Fig. 2 is asectional view thereof, as seen on line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 indicates the baseof the game appliance, which is preferably circular and is provided atits outer edge with a flange 2, said flange extending upwardly from thebase and preierably integral therewith.

The upper face of the base 1 is formed to represent a wheel-likestructure, the rim 3 of which is circular and adjacent the flange 2,while the hub 4 of the wheel is at the center of the base and connectedto the rim 3 by means of spokes 5, said spokes being curved, orsubstantially S-shaped, so as to form a tortuous path from the rim tothe hub, the upper surface of the rim, hub and connecting spokes beingelevated above the upper surface of the base 1, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The central portion of the hub l is provided with a cavity 6, in whichis adapted to be seated a bead 7, said bead preferably consisting ofmercury, or like substance, which will normally remain in a globularform, but will disintegrate when thrown against an object and divideinto smaller beads.

Around the periphery of the hub 4, between the spokes 5, are a pluralityof studs 8, said studs being placed in such relation to each other thatthe bead 7 cannot pass therebetween without disintegration, whileauxiliary studs 9 are provided for the spokes and are entered in the hubmidway between the periphery of the cavity 6 and the periphery of thehub 4 and said auxiliary studs are in line with the longitudinal axialcenter of the spokes 5, the auxiliary studs being a sutficient distancefrom the studs adjacent each side oi the spokes to allow the bead topass therebetween without disintegration.

The upper edge of the flange 2 forms a rest for a cover 10, said coverbeing secured to the flange in any pre ferred manner and constructed oftransparent material, such as glass, mica, or the like, so that the beadand parts of the wheel may be readily seen.

The object of the device is to place the bead 7 into the cavity 6without separating the head into small particles and, in order toaccomplish this result, it is necessary to cause the head to travel fromthe rim 3 to the hub 4 on the spokes 5 and the bead must be directedinto engagement with the auxiliary studs 9, so as not to cause the beadto become separated or divided into small particles, and it will befound that it will require considerable skill to accomplish this result,as the least movement of the base from the horizontal position when thebead is traveling on the spokes, will cause the bead to drop into thespace between the spokes and as the studs 8 are placed suflicientlyclose together to prevent the head from pass ing therebetween, any jaror sudden movement to cause the bead to pass between the studs 8 willseparate the head into small particles.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a'very cheap and economicalform of game appliance, and one requiring a great deal of skill tooperate the same.

What I claim is: v

1. The herein described game appliance, comprising a base, a wheel-likestructure having a hub and spokes radiating therefrom on said base andelevated above the surl'ace of the base, said hub having a cavity at thecenter thereof, a flange at the outer edge of said base, a cover on saidflange, a bead adapted to enter said cavity a plurality of studssurrounding a portion of said wheellike structure, whereby the bead willbe disintegrated when passed between said studs and a plurality ofauxiliary studs between said first mentioned studs and said cavity.

2. In a game appliance ot the class described, the combination with abase, a flange around said base, a wheel-like structure on said base,comprising a rim, a plurality of curved spokes extending inwardly fromthe rim. a hub at the inner ends of said spokes, said hub having acavity in the central portion thereof, a plurality of studs around saidhub between said spokes and auxiliary studs between said first mentionedstuds and said cavity and at a point midway between the two edges of thespokes; of a head, said bead being formed of disintegrating substanceand adapted to be entered into said cavity when passed between one ofthe auxiliary studs and the main studs and disintegrated when passedbetween two of the main studs.

3. A game appliance of the class described, comprising a base, a flangeextending upwardly from said base and around the edge thereof, a riminclosed by said flange, a plurality of curved spokes extending inwardlyfrom said L l run, a hub at the inner ends of said spokes, said hub Intestimony whereof we have signed our names to this 10 having a cavity atthe central portion thereof, the upper specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses. surfaces of said rim, spokes and hub beingelevated above the surface of the base, a plurality of studs adjacentthe 'lI-IOS. M. WEBB. periphery of said hub, and between the spokes,auxiliary THOS. J. DAVIS. studs between said cavity and first mentionedstuds and a bead of disintegrating substance adapted to travel onWitnesses:

said spokes and enter said cavity by passing between one if. R. VANNnss,

of the first mentioned studs and an auxiliary stud. W F. BERRYHILL.

